Blog

  1. Field Crickets

    This is the time of year that a plague of field crickets descend upon us and appear around structures and sometimes inside. While they are a nuisance, they do not breed or infest indoors. The worst outbreaks are usually around businesses. The reason for this is that the crickets are attracted to light. Most commercial properties keep lights on all night which attracts them by the hundreds. Reducin…Read More

  2. Fire Ant Baits

    We use a professional grade fire ant bait(Advion Fire Ant Bait) that works very well and very quickly. The active ingredient is indoxacarb which is synthetic, but very low in toxicity, even to aquatic life. We broadcast the bait granules throughout the yard and worker ants bring it back to feed the colony. As the ants' metabolism activates the indoxacarb, it is changed from that very low toxicity …Read More

  3. Handling Wasps

    Wasps are considered to be beneficial insects by some people, especially gardeners. This is because they eat a variety of pests, especially caterpillars and are pollinators. However, when they build their honeycomb type nest on homes or other areas frequented by people they can be trouble.   Early in the spring you can keep the wasps from nesting on your home by swatting the nests down with a bro…Read More

  4. Indoor Flea Problems

    Areas where pets hang out are flea hot spots. Carpeting is simple to handle by sweeping boric acid into them. Boric can be dusted down behind cushions of furniture. It is advisable to have a rug under wherever the pet sleeps (if not in a crate – boric can just sit in bottom of crate – a light dusting will do and it won’t hurt the pet). If you don’t have carpets, we recommend very frequent …Read More

  5. Mosquitoes? Give this a try

    Mosquitoes are always a problem around here, but spraying all the time for them just isn't practical. Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) can be an effective way to help with them.When mosquito larvae eat Bti it disrupts their digestive process killing them before they can mature! We put a small piece of a mosquito dunk into a bucket of water out in the yard. It's been a couple of weeks and…Read More

  6. Large roaches

    Did you know that around here, every roach other than German roaches, come in from the outside and don't infest the home? The old saying that if you see one roach in the house, there are a hundred in the wall doesn't really apply. You's have to have a major plumbing leak or really high levels of humidity in your home to create an environment where they could set up shop. Some things you can do to …Read More

  7. Kissing bugs

    Kissing bugs require a blood meal and can carry Chagas disease. They are not very common though and are often misidentified. Boxedler bugs in particular tend to get be mistaken for kissing bugs. General IPM practices should be used to help keep them out of the house, the same as any other bug. They can fly so there really isn't any specific treatment done for them.  Although Chagas disease can be…Read More

  8. Rodents!

    We use Contrac Blox because it always works, unlike trapping, and is very inexpensive compared to trapping. Trapping requires multiple visits and may not achieve 100% eradication, especially when large numbers of rodents are present. Contrac Blox has a low chance of primary & secondary poisoning. Rodents do not have to eat much of the bait and then it is passed quickly through their system. Th…Read More

  9. House Geckos

    House geckos are often found in the yard or on the home. They are beneficial because they eat pests, including cockroaches. Most people don't mind having them on the home but do not like it when they find one inside. The best way to keep them out is to seal cracks around windows/doors with caulk and handle other potential entry points. These reptiles lay eggs and lose their tail as a defense mecha…Read More

  10. Cicada Killer Wasps

    These solitary wasps are around 2” long and which makes them the largest wasp. They are usually yellow and black and hunt cicadas to eat, hence the name. Males cannot sting but will use intimidation to defend their nests. Females can sting but rarely do. They dig a nest about a foot down into the ground where they store paralyzed adult cicadas. Eggs are laid on the cicadas and when they hatch la…Read More